NMSU Foundation named finalist for prestigious ethics award

The Samaritan Counseling Center has named the New Mexico State University Foundation a finalist for its Paul and LaDonna Hopkins Award for Excellence in Ethical Practice by a Nonprofit Organization.

The Samaritan Counseling Center has named the New Mexico State University Foundation a finalist for its Paul and LaDonna Hopkins Award for Excellence in Ethical Practice by a Nonprofit Organization. The award’s recipient will be announced in early 2018. The NMSU Foundation has completed two Giving Tuesday fundraising events, which raised nearly $8 million from more than 3,000 donors for scholarships and programs across the NMSU system, and is gearing up for its third Giving Tuesday event in November. (NMSU photo by Andres Leighton)

The NMSU Foundation is one of five finalists for the award. The award’s recipient will be announced in early 2018.

The NMSU Foundation is a nonprofit organization developed to secure, manage and invest private gifts for the benefit of NMSU’s teaching, research, extension education and public service programs for the university’s five campuses. Earlier this year, the Foundation was honored by the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce as its Nonprofit of the Year for 2016. The NMSU Foundation has completed two Giving Tuesday fundraising events, which raised nearly $8 million from more than 3,000 donors for scholarships and programs across the NMSU system, and is gearing up for its third Giving Tuesday event in November. This academic year, the Foundation awarded more than $3.6 million in scholarship funds to 3,263 students at all NMSU campuses throughout the state.

“Our team at the NMSU Foundation is so proud to receive this nomination for such a prestigious award,” said Tina Byford, chief operating officer for University Advancement. “We are especially proud to represent Southern New Mexico as the only nominee selected from our area. Each and every day we work hard to earn and retain the trust of our alumni, donors and friends.”

In April, the Foundation launched a comprehensive $125 million fundraising campaign that has received over $80 million in private gifts and grants since 2013.

The NMSU Foundation is a separately incorporated, nonprofit organization developed solely for the benefit of NMSU. The foundation is approved by the IRS as a charitable, tax-exempt organization and is registered with the New Mexico State Corporation Commission.

Each year, the Samaritan Counseling Center calls for nominations for its New Mexico Ethics in Business Awards honoring companies and individuals in New Mexico that demonstrate a strong commitment to the highest level of ethical business practices in daily operations, management and personal philosophies and in their response to crises and challenges.

Finalists will go through a Q&A process led by students in the Fall 2017 Business Ethics courses at the University of New Mexico Anderson School of Management before a recipient is selected. Finalists were selected by an independent volunteer screening committee.

The 2018 award recipients will be recognized at the 19th Annual Ethics in Business Award Celebration on April 25, 2018, at the Sandia Resort in Albuquerque. The celebration is sponsored by the Better Business Bureau of New Mexico and Southwest Colorado.